A Bentley-driving benefits cheat, who lived a double life as a gastropub boss serving a wealthy yachting community £125 truffle and champagne burgers, was convicted of a £30,000 fraud today.
Businessman Stephen John Sussams, 59, the ex-boss of the landmark Royal Dart, The Square, Kingswear, Devon treated the council flat he received housing benefit for as his London "pied-à-terre" during the scam.
He will now swap his old gourmet menu, which included crocodile, impala and ostrich, for prison food after being remanded in custody until his sentencing on January 11 at Croydon Crown Court.
"I am not in the business of unrealistically raising expectations, " Judge Peter Gow QC told Sussams, who bitterly fought the case. "I am prepared to adjourn for a pre-sentence report, but realistically it can only go to the length of the sentence of imprisonment, which I believe is inevitable in this case."
Sussams was featured in a BBC Panorama investigation screened last year called 'Britain on the Fiddle' and when confronted while sitting in his Bentley said he refused to engage in "trial by television."
He deliberately kept his business interests and three companies secret from Croydon Council, who continued paying £14,625 to cover the rent and council tax on the one-bedroom flat he shared with his younger civil partner in Marston Way, Upper Norwood.
Sussams also drained the account of the flat's deceased former tenant, Keith Dickinson, who once worked for nightclub boss Peter Stringfellow, stealing £17,600 in carer's allowance payments.
The jury took just ninety minutes to unanimously convict Sussams of stealing the allowance payments from the London Borough of Croydon between August 28, 2008 and January 13, 2009 and dishonestly making a false statement on or about September 19, 2008 in relation to a housing and council tax benefit claim by failing to declare he was living with his civil partner Evengy Vasin.
He was also convicted of fraud between June 1, 2009 and March 31, this year by dishonestly failing to disclose to Croydon he was the company director of Jireh Investments and Assets and similarly that he was the company director of Kingwear Inns between October 29, 2010 and March 31, this year and Kingswear Inns (Assets) between December 2, 2010 and March 31, this year.
"This defendant was living in Devon as the landlord of that pub, he was not living in Croydon," prosecutor Miss Nancy Udom told the jury. "The flat he was claiming housing and council tax benefit on was a pied-à-terre in the south-east for Mr. Sussams."
"He had a responsibility to tell the council he was linked to a business in Devon ," added Miss Udom. "This was dishonesty, this was fraudulent.
"He knew that if he told the truth the payments would stop and he chose to be dishonest rather than lose the flat in Croydon."
The jury were told Sussams was the primary carer for Keith Dickinson, the former tenant of the flat in Marston Way, Upper Norwood.
When he died on August 28, 2008 the direct carer's payment continued being made into his bank account.
"Mr Sussams, as the primary carer, had access to this bank account and would have been aware that very large sums were coming into the bank account.
"This defendant made large withdrawals from the account, some coincided with the payments going in or within a couple of days," explained Miss Udom.
Sussams withdrew £3,500 just three days after a direct payment went in and on another occasion withdrew funds on the same day the account was credited.
"This was simply stealing. That money should have been left where it was or returned to the council, not withdrawn by Mr. Sussams."
Croydon council invoiced Sussams for the overpayment, but he simply told them all the money had been dispersed in accordance with Mr. Dickinson's will.
Sussams, who was in receipt of incapacity benefit, successfully claimed housing and council tax benefit as a sole occupier, but deliberately failed to tell the council he was sharing the property with his civil partner Evengy Vasin.
"He did not declare his true personal circumstances and failed to declare that he was living with his partner, Mr. Vasin, his civil partner," said Miss Udom. "In fact he went further and told outright lies and claimed he was the sole occupier."
The couple had a civil ceremony on August 8, 2006.
Sussams told a pack of lies to the jury, insisting he thought the allowance payments to Mr. Dickinson were his Stringfellow's pension and that he honestly believed Croydon Council knew he had his own business.
Sussams received a suspended prison sentence in 1978 for deception and theft and three years imprisonment in 1986 for cannabis production.
Croydon will pursue compensation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
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